


Fated To Be Blue

by This_sucks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: BAMF Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/M, Hitman Lance, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Kinda, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance leaves voltron, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), but its complicated, the AU that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 17:08:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13862151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_sucks/pseuds/This_sucks
Summary: Lance overheard a conversation and ends up leaving Voltron but still helps them in his own little way when two years later Voltron finds Lance while on one of their missions.(I'm terrible at descriptions sorry)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It took me a day to write this

"Ok Lance, this is a serious mission. You're sure you can handle it?" Shiro asked looking towards me acting as if I couldn't see his doubt in me written all over his face.

"Yes." I replied, certain that I could do this.

"Its an extraction mission okay? you will not have backup it's to risky. You get in there you get Armon and you get out got it?" Shiro explained some more as if I didn't get it.

"When do I leave?" I asked, voice steely. I had to prove that I was more then a joke. Not just a punchline.

"Tomorrow morning." Shiro nodded, still looking doubtful "rest up you've got a big day ahead of you."

I nodded before heading toward the training room. I could do this, I would do this, but first I needed to practice, plus I was way too jittery to sleep. Entering the room I immediately activated my Bayard then set up the robots.  
All I had to do was go get Armon and return to base, coursed through my head as I shot through robot after robot.

"Lance McClain sharpshooter extraordinaire" I joked to the empty room before I heard voices coming from down the hall.  
Was there a team meeting?  
Shrugging to myself I deactivated my Bayard, clipping it onto the holster on my hip, and followed the voices into the lounge room where we usually held team meetings. I placed my hand on the door, ready to announce my presence i heard something that made me pause.

"Do you think he can do it?"  
That was shiro's voice. I knew he didn't have that much faith in me but geez.

"I don't know, he's failed before."  
Pidge. That was one time. And technically it wasn't even my fault.

"Pidge is right. We could pull him out of the mission? Maybe contact the Blade of Marmora and cash in a favor?" Allura suggested.  
My eyes burned as struggled to keep the tears at bay. Turning away from the door I made my way back to the room the conversation that I just overheard playing again and again in my head, torturing me.  
They really did think that I was just a joke. With that thought I flopped down onto my bed and fell into an uneasy sleep.  
-  
The next morning I got up quickly and got dressed in my paladin armour before heading out into the kitchen dining area pretending as if I hadn't heard anything last night.

"Lance good you're up. We thought we could go over the plan again." Allura stated as I sat down next to Keith.

"No need, I memorized it." I stated flatly, scooping food goo into my mouth and pretending it was my mom's home cooked food.

"O-ok are you sure?" Shiro inquired from his seat on the left of allura.

"Yep." I replied coldly then pushing my food away I continued, "I should get ready. Excuse me."  
Walking out of the dining hall I made my way into the Lion room as we called it, pretending I didn't hear Keith's soft footsteps following me.

Growing tired of being followed I stopped just outside the room and whirled around to face Keith, "what do you want?" I snapped.

"What's up with you? You've been weird all morning." Keith replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It doesn't matter Keith. Go tell the others I'm leaving in a few minutes." I replied while turning around and entering the room.

"It does matter!" Keith half yelled while following me. I walked as calmly as I could toward blue when every atom- every molecule in my body wanted to run to Blue and never come back.

"Why." I didn't phrase it like a question.

Keith seemed to falter for a second but regained control just as quickly, "because Shiro's worrying about you that's why!"

I scoffed at that, "Sure."

Keith's eyebrows furrowed, "what do you mean 'sure'?" 

"I mean that I heard your guys's talk last night!" I finally snapped at him.

"What talk?"

"Sure, play dumb, whatever. Tell the team I'll be back soon with Armon." I boarded blue and took one last look at Keith, I can't believe I had a crush on that guy.  
-  
KEITH

Walking as loudly as I could without it being classified as stomping I exited the Lion room and went to find the team while going over the events of what had just happened. Lance, he had just left. He'd be back. He said he would be. And then I could tell him. Finally, I found the team gathered in the dining hall- still eating and talking.

"Shiro!" I let my anger show clearly on my face, "Lance just left for the mission, but not before mentioning some talk you guys had? Care to fill me in?"

"He heard that? How?" Pidge looked to Allura.

I watched as Allura shrugged at Pidge's inquiry while Shiro started talking, "Keith last night we discussed whether or not this mission was... too much for Lance to handle. We didn't invite you because we all knew you wouldn't be able to be objective considering..." he trailed off.

"Do you guys really have that little faith in him?!" I looked over to Hunk, "did you know about this? You're supposed to be his best friend!"

Hunk shook his head, "I didn't know about this at all."

"Keith... We-" Allura started but I was quick to cut her off.

"No. I'm going to my room. Don't bother talking to me."  
-  
LANCE

Landing quietly on the underbelly of the galra ship I exited Blue and cut a hole big enough (with the laser pidge had built into my suit) to fit blue into the unguarded basement of the ship. 

Once inside I followed the map pidge had also provided for me towards where they were keeping Armon. Only finding one guard on watch I silently put a bullet through his head then dragged him over to the corner before continuing on my way. This seemed easy... almost too easy. Keeping my guard up I reached the prison area and looked down at the picture I had of Armon, purple skin, scar over right eye, white cropped hair and Blade of Marmora armour.

Finding him in the last cell I pressed my finger to my lips hoping that Galra's understood that that meant be quiet because Keith sure didn't. Keith... I shook my head. No, I couldn't think about him now, plus he was in on that talk, he was probably going to try and get me kicked out of Voltron considering how much he hates me. Freeing myself from my thoughts I knelt down next to the lock and began putting the code a Blade member gave us before I heard a crash from the floor above us. Urging myself to move faster I got Armon out and quickly helped him out of the cell- his leg seemed to be broken. 

Everything went smoothly until we hit the stair case.

"Halt! You there! Show yourself!" A galra guards voice sounded and I counted the footsteps I heard. There was 3 guards. How hard could it be to take out three guards?

Placing Armon on the floor gently I activated my Bayard swiftly and immediately began shooting faster then they could say oh no it's the blue paladin!  
They started shooting not a second later and I activated my shield after I felt the scrape of a passing bullet against the place on my shoulder the armour didn't quite cover. Shooting one guy 3 times in the chest he fell and I started on the next one attempting to simultaneously dodge galra number three's bullets (which wasn't that difficult since they had storm trooper levels of aim). 2 bullets to take out galra two and 4 to take out galra three.

I moved faster then I ever have before,  
"C'mon we don't have much time before they send more guards" I whispered to Armon while ousting him up so must of his weight was being held up by me. 

"You... you're name is Lance right?" Armon asked almost silently.

"Yep, that's me why? And just so you know I don't do autographs" I joked, attempting to appear a lot less worried then I actually was.

Armon chuckled and didn't say anything else as we rounded the corner to the basement.

"Okay Armon, you should probably know I fly-" I was cut off by the sound of footsteps on our tail. Shutting myself up I hurried over to blue and helped Armon into the cockpit. 

"You stay here," I ordered him as strictly as I could manage, "I'll hold them off." 

Taking a shakey breath and rubbing the silver heart shaped locket that held a tiny picture of my family I looked into blue's mettalic eyes,  
"Take him back to base and don't come back to get me. It's too risky I'll get out of here myself okay?"

Blue nodded slowly- her metal joints creating a scraping noise and took off. 

Running to the nearest set of stairs I quickly found a high up spot that would work wonderfully. Concentrating, I turned my regular rifle Bayard into a long sniper rifle and started lining up shots.  
-  
KEITH

I jumped to my feet as soon as I heard Lance's lion land in the Lion room. Running out into the hall I followed the other members of voltron into the room to greet Lance and make sure if he was okay- well, I would do that and everyone else would ask if the mission was a success. 

But then Lance didn't step out of Blue but rather a Galra... Armon.

"Where's Lance?" I demanded climbing into blue.

"He said he would hold them off." Armon told me as Shiro sat him down in a chair so Hunk could look at his leg.

"Hold who off?" I looked at him angrily. I knew this wasn't Armon's fault but I couldn't help it.

"The Galra. They chased us to blue and Lance told me to stay in the Lion but before I knew it we where taking off and lance wasn't on board." Armon told me as he lent his head back to look at the ceiling while Hunk poked and prodded at his leg.  
Swiveling to shoot a poisonous look at shiro I prayed to quiznak that Lance was okay.  
-  
LANCE

Let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the floor I sang in my head as I took shot after shot. No one ever believed me when I said I could make any shot. Guess this was proof that I could.  
Finally, when all the galra where dead or had run away I got down and ran towards the nearest guard and took his armour.

"Sorry about this man, it's just paladin armour isn't the most inconspicuous thing in the world and right now I could really use the stealth." I whispered to the galra even though I knew he couldn't hear me. Since ya know, he was dead as a doornail. Changing as quickly as I could I began planning my escape route. I'd have to get to the docks where they kept the ships then it was the matter of figuring out how to start a Galra fighter ship but that couldn't be too hard. Standing up I adjusted the too big helmet, tucked my Bayard into my pants and made my way in a direction I hoped was the docks.

By some stroke of good luck I found a ship relatively easily and boarded it. 

Wow, that's a lot of buttons. Okay, so... this one should start the engine... I hope. Pressing the button nearest to the steering wheel I felt the ship shutter and shake for a minute before the lights in the fighter jet came alive. 

"Awww yesss" I sat down in the seat and began the descent into the air when a voice sounded put into the ship,

"Commander Striken why are you flying?"

"Quiznak" I swore before smashing anything in the ship that looked like a communications or tracking device.

"Much better." I whispered to myself as I sat back down in the pilots seat.

"Now where to?" I thought for a moment, I couldn't go back to Voltron the ship is wired to change locations every few minutes plus Voltron is better and the members are happier without me. Sighing audibly I just picked a direction and started flying.

But that was 2 years ago.


	2. Preperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets new gear and Keith thinks about the boy he misses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother helped.

LANCE

I was 18 now and had been on the run from the Galra empire for 2 years. The fact I was still alive honestly surprised me considering most of my time is being spent sneaking onto Galra ships and sniping every Galra I saw until I had destroyed the entire fleet. 

Which is what I'd be doing tonight. I had been given Intel that a massive Galra ship that was transporting weaponry to Quableducks- (laughable name I know) the planet I was currently staying at for their small army that has been governing the planet for a while but for now I was doing some shopping.

The sound system made a small quaking noise as I entered there store that was run by a slimy three armed blob named Jargnor. He mostly sold weapons and armour both things I desperately needed.

"Hey Jargnor." I waved at him as I made my way toward the back of the store.

"Hey Blue." He replied. That's what people knew me as now. I was no longer Lance McClain blue paladin but rather Blue the rebel hit man.

Weaving through the alien guns that where hanging from the ceiling I found what I was looking for. Attempting not to let my heart eyes show I gazed upon the prettiest dark blue combat suit I had ever seen. It has one layer of skin tight mesh material that can keep your body temperature regulated if your on cold or warm planets, then loose dark blue almost black cargo pants, heavy steel toed black combat boots and a bullet proof vest with a tactical belt. Picking the suit up off the shelf I walked over to the counter area and dropped it in front of Jargnor. 

"Will that be all Mr. Blue?" Jargnor asked as his other tentacle arms waved from behind him.

I was about to reply when something caught my eye. Looking over to my right I saw it. The coolest looking alien 50 cal sniper rifle ever hanging there.

"One second Jargnor." I held up a finger before strutting over to the loveliest gun in the universe.

"Helloooo baby." I stroked one finger down the length of the guns barrel.

"Nice choice, you sure it's in your price range?" Jargnor asked as I continued petting the gun.

"I would pay anything for this gun. My life, my hair, maybe a small goat, anything you name it." I replied causing Jargnor to make a strange noise that I think is laughter.

"Okay, Blue." Jargnor made a strange gesture indicating for me to take the gun down and bring it to him.

Hugging the gun to my chest I asked, "How much for Sexy here?" 

"70 trinabites. For this gun then plus all your fancy gear your total is 172 trinabites." Jargnor informed me.  
If I had been drinking water I would have spit it everywhere.

"172 trinabites?! I only have 170..." I frowned at the gun. Maybe I could ditch the vest? I didn't get shot that often.

Jargnor's eyes rolled back in his head before he spoke, "I'll let you off, after all you did save my life that one time." 

I gasped loudly in surprise, "Jargnor have I ever told you how much I love you? Like I'm in love with you, like if you weren't married hoo boy I would be all over that." 

"Please just go." Replied Jargnor.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" I called before wolf whistling at his blobish form then leaving with all my new stuff.  
-  
KEITH

"Okay team tonight we will be sabotaging a Galra ship that's transporting weaponry to the small army residing on the even smaller planet known as Quableducks." Shiro informed the team, " Any questions?"

We all shook our heads in unison and Shiro was quick to dismiss us so he could go back to discussing other possible missions with Allura.

I shook my head to myself Quableducks... how names their planet that? Lance... he would've made a joke about that. I scowled, I need to be training. Slowly, I made my way to the training room only half motivated to actually train.   
Unlocking the door to the room with my hand print I entered and looked around at the empty room where I used to spar with Lance.   
I miss him...   
"Training room activate level 10 robots." I snarled out at the empty room wishing I could just forget Lance like I've done with everyone else.  
But something about him is just....  
"Argh!" I slashed out at the robot and watched it fall in half to the floor.  
Hacking away at a few more robots I feel myself fall back into my thoughts.  
All of a sudden I'm transported back in time to our last sparring session.

"Okay Mullet show me what you got!" Lance shouted at me while doing the worst impression of an old timey boxer.

Raising my fists we circled each other like wild cats preparing to strike. Lance lashed out first with a quick jab aimed at my jaw but I quickly blocked and reversed it on him so I could jab his abdomen.

Retreating we both repositioned before striking. Dropping down I kicked my leg out and swept his legs out from under him before standing up again. Casually, as if this was the easiest fight I'd ever been in I strolled over to him and placed my boot clad foot on his chest.

"Give up McClain?" 

"Bite me Kogane." He smirked before grabbing my ankle with his free hand so I fell on top of him before quickly rolling us over so his knee was pressed against my throat.

Raising an eyebrow I chuckled, "I didn't think you had it in you McClain."

"I'll have you know I'm full of surprises." He flashed me one of his 'I'm Lance, I'm so awesome don't you want to date me' grins before backing off and helping me up.

Snapping back to my senses I quickly deflected a robots sword to keep it from hitting me solidly in the chest.

LANCE

There's nothing like the sound of cocking a gun in the evening. Whistling as I worked I got dressed then began packing up my stuff for tonight.

My hot new gun? Check.  
Bullets? Check.  
Extra bullets? Check.  
Awesome new suit? Check.  
Handgun? Check.  
Knife? Check.  
More extra Bullets? Check.

I double checked everything quickly before going out to the place I had parked my ship. My new ship was the same dark blue as my suit and was only big enough for one since I was kind of a lone ranger these days. The ship was good but it was no lion. The ship that I missed dearly every passing day. I missed most things about being part of a team surprisingly... the feeling of companionship... having someone else to rely on... Keith...  
No. I could not get sidetracked. Boarding my ship I took off in the direction of the Galra ship.


	3. A reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance runs into his old team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I live for sniper Lance?

LANCE

The ship came into view as I absentmindedly rubbed my locket while contemplating where to set up in the ship. As slowly and carefully as I could I activated stealth mode on my tiny ship and parked it with the Galran fighter ships, hoping that my ship looked enough like there's that if anybody saw it before I was finished they wouldn't question it. Surveying my surroundings I took it all in. Galra ships where always so darkly colored what did they have against pastels? 

Thankfully, there weren't many Galra's in the docking zone of the ship so sneaking into the main part of the spacecraft is fairly easy. 

Everything is going smoothly as I took shots at Galra soldiers heads until I saw it. The Paladins of Voltron. 

Letting out a heavy sigh I made myself work faster not pausing to watch the bodies fall anymore but instead moving onto the next target as soon as the shot hit. 

The Paladins burst into the room just as the last Galra fell and I smirked before watching them search the room for any alive Galra's, holding back my laughter I reached up to my ear and clicked on the small device that advanced my hearing so I could stay alert and ready at all times.

"Where is everyone?" I hear Pidge ask after checking over the Galra equipment that I hadn't bothered to tinker with.

"Someone must have been here before us." Shiro replied while surveying the damage I had done while I watched them through the scope of my rifle.

"You bet I was here first," I whispered near silently.

"Who do you think it was? Maybe we could enlist their help?" Allura rhetorically asked. 

And then I did something stupid.

Sneakily I got down from my heading spot and tip toed up behind them.

Whistling lowly I loudly spoke, "Wow guys, you're getting slow."

One by one they all spun around to face me making their eyes grow comically wide.

"Surprised to see me?" I chuckle and prop my gun up on my shoulder.

"L-Lance," Keith stuttered and watched as I blew a bubble with the weird space gum I had picked up on Nebula z2. 

"The one and only." I smirked while trying to keep myself from staring at him, he looked... different but not crazily so? Like he was still Keith. Good different he looked very good different.

"Lance where have you been? It's been two years!" Hunk asked, smiling widely at me.

"Oh ya know, here and there." I dodged the question.

"Lance, the last time we saw you was... the Armon mission. What happened?" Shiro asked, curiously. 

Pressing a fake smile onto my face I answered, "The mission didn't go according to plan and I had to use ulterior methods to get out of the Galra ship."

"Why didn't you return to base?" Allura questions her eyebrows burrowing to match Shiro's.

"The castle is wired to change positions every few ticks remember? The lions are the only spacecraft that can find there way back to the base because their coded to do so." I looked over to Keith who seemed to be malfunctioning as he stared at me, "what?"

Keith shook his head as if trying to clear imaginary fog from his eyes, "Nothing."

"Okay..." I shook my head, and let out a groan. "I lied. I didnt come back because i knew that Voltron would be better without having to constantly worry about me."

Keith's mouth opened just as my watch beeped, "Well," I replaced my grown with a too wide smile, "that's my que, the ship is rigged to explode in about 10 minutes. I suggest you guys skaddaddle." 

"Lance-" Shiro began but I was quick to cut him off.

"Later losers," I raised two fingers and tapped them on my forehead in salute before running off in the direction I came.

I heard them try and follow me but they didn't know the layout of the ship like I did so I quickly lost them and boarded my ship, zooming out of the space craft I looked back at where the lions flew off. 

Allowing the smile to drop from my face I wiped a stray tear from my eye before appending off in a new direction to planet Detortoad.   
-  
KEITH

Narrowly escaping the massive explosion Lance caused, we arrived back at base.

Stomping out of Red I looked the remaining members of Voltron in the eyes, "We have to find him and convince him to come back to Voltron."

"Keith..." Shiro trailed off softly.

"No, we need him. We can't form Voltron anymore and I can tell you all miss him!" I snapped at them.

Coran with the wonderful timing he has entered the room at that moment and saw the serious looks on our faces, "Okay what did I miss this time?"

"Shiro doesn't think we should go after Lance." I pointed angrily at Shiro who just looked tired, after all we had been having this same argument for close on two years.

"You can't even form Voltron," Coran said, petting one of the mice on the head softly, "so either you get Lance back or you find a new blue paladin; which is not the easiest thing in the universe let me tell you." 

I raised a 'told you so' eyebrow at Shiro who put his head in his hands and said, "How would we even find him?"

I didn't think I would get this far...

"Ummm..." I thought out loud.

"Well," Pidge began walking over to the computers, "We could always keep an ear out for any Galran ships that have recently went missing or exploded." 

Hunk nodded then spoke up, "Or maybe if he still has his Paladin helmet we could track it through the communications systems it has built in."

"Yeah, that would work greatly." Pidge agreed with Hunk while beginning to type at a million miles per hour.

Allowing a smile to stretch across my face I walked over to join Pidge and Hunk while Allura and Shiro walked over to the navigations system.

"Plot course to planet Detortoad." Pidge smiled and Allura began to do her Altean magic, steering us towards the planet.


	4. The Gang's Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith convinced Lance to come back to Voltron and Lance realizes something is up with Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the way I write them is too ooc so I'm trying to fix that.

LANCE 

You would expect that a planet called Detortoad would be more fun. 

Walking through the streets I kept my hood up just in case I was recognized as the Blue Paladin, after all you can never be too careful.

On Detortoad the people where dog like but with lizard faces... they kind of reminded me of fuzzy raptors but they made some of the BEST alien food I have ever tasted (and I've tasted a lot) 

Picking up various objects from carts selling things I surveyed my surroundings for Galran soldiers. Finding none I allowed myself to relax a bit, actually taking time to look at earth 'artifacts' like broken DS's. 

Smiling, I picked up a small pink elephant toy, Victoria (my youngest sister) would love this. If she was still obsessed with Elephants when I get back to Earth, that is. 

"How much?" I asked the vendor holding up the tiny elephant.

"5 clicks." The vendor replied his voice sounding more like the noise a dog makes when it's about to vomit.

I nodded and reached into my pocket when something caught my eye... was that... paladin armour?

Quiznak

"Um, here you go sir." I threw the little coins at him before pulling my hood down farther and speed walking through the crowded street.

Taking a quick look behind me, I let out a breath of relief, I think I lost them.

" So," my head snapped around to see Keith leaning up against the wall, arms crossed over his casual clothes clad chest, "I hear you go by blue now."

I scowled at him but otherwise ignored him and kept walking back to my ship.

"Where are you going?" Keith followed me, hot on my heels.

"I don't know yet." I snapped and kept speed walking.

"You can't keep running!" Keith shouted at me.

"I'm not running." I told him pushing through the crowd.

"Then what are you doing?!" He struggled to keep up with me.

"I'm leaving!" I turned around to face him, "Voltron is better off without me Keith and you know it! So I'm doing you all a favor and giving up my role of Blue paladin. I thought that much was obvious!" 

Keith sputtered for a minute as I turned back around and kept walking at full speed but Keith caught up faster then I thought he would. 

Placing his hand on my shoulder he softly said, "Lance, I need- the team needs you."

Stopping in my tracks I looked at him with wide eyes, did he just almost say he needed me?

"We can't form Voltron without you." Keith continued.

Shaking my head, I returned my face to emotionless and quipped, "you should really figure out how to then 'cause I heard Zarkon is one scary guy." 

"Lance... please." He begged, his voice barely an echo. 

I groaned loudly, "Fine. Let me go grab my stuff."

A small smile appeared on his face before his expression returned to stone, "I'm coming with you."

"What? Afraid I'll run off?" I snickered.

He half smiled, "Something like that."

-  
KEITH

I follow Lance back to his ship while observing the planet. 

"Why do you always pick the weirdest planets to land on?" I voiced as I stared at a massive alien with four heads and eight arms.

"I pick the one's that you guys have no reason to land on." He confessed as he lead me down an alley and into a old storage unit where he climbed into a purple Galran style ship.

"This is yours?" I raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Kinda," he began go explain as he tossed me a book bag before ducking back into the ship to grab something else, "I stole it from a Galran war ship before I blew it up."

I nodded in understanding and tossed the bag over my shoulder.

"So, Keith, what have you been up to for the past two years besides being the red paladin?" Lance appeared again with another bag that he swung onto his own shoulder before getting out of the ship.

I paused, what had I been doing for the past two years? 

"Hunk taught me how to cook." I finally told him.

"You used to live alone on earth and you're telling me you didn't know how to cook?" Lance exclaimed, "what did you eat? How have you survived this long?"

"I... honestly don't know." I confessed. 

Lance shook his head at the ground in disbelief, "So, where's Voltron?" 

"Waiting for us back on base." I confirmed, leading him back towards where I had left red.

"You're the only on the came to look for me?" Lance faltered.

I looked back at him to where he had stopped walking, "No, the others are waiting back on the ship because they thought I was the only one who could convince you to come back." 

Lance nodded, "Well, they thought right."

We walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence as I look at the aliens of this planet and Lance is absorbed in his own thoughts.

Arriving at Red I enter first but immediately make sure Lance is following which makes him giggle and all of a sudden a wave of emotion that I thought I buried two years ago washes over me. Why does it have to be him? 

" Keith? Keith?" I hear Lance all of a sudden.

"Hm?" I acknowledge him after a moment of dragging myself back to reality.

"You need to pilot red remember?" Lance enunciated.

" Yes." I nodded, clearing my head of the fog before taking off into space in the direction of the Castle.  
-  
LANCE

Is Keith acting weird or is it just me? 

He doesn't say anything when we board the Castle and he doesn't say anything when he leads me into the Team Meeting room.

"Lance. It's good to have you back." Shiro greeted me from his place standing at the front of the room.

"Sure." I flatly agree as I take a seat next to Hunk while watching Keith leave the room, a strange expression on his face.


	5. Sparring session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Keith do a little sparring and things almost happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never actually been in a fight with anyone other then my brothers so sorry if the fighting doesn't make much sense.

LANCE

The first week back at Voltron went pretty smoothly considering what happened. I fit seamlessly back into the group going about my business but not really socializing with the other members of the team, instead preferring to keep to myself and train or wonder around the Castle. I didn't see Keith much either which... bothers me more then I'd care to admit. I mostly see him walking and talking with Shiro sometimes with a grin on his face and other times with a grim look on his face.

"A- oh sorry, I... didn't think anyone would be in here." My beads snaps to where Keith just entered the training deck and I pause my simulation I had set up.

"Its fine, I'm pretty much done anyway." I tap my Bayard on the side of my paladin armour and watch as it disappears (I've never quite understood how it does that).

Keith nods but still has a strange, conflicted expression gracing his features and I get an idea.

"Or, ya know we could spar? Like we used to?" I suggest.

Keith's head turns back to me from where he was staring at the walls of the training deck so he could look me in the eyes. But then they narrow, "Really...?" 

I nod vigorously, "Of course, I could use the practice plus it's fun." 

I used to love our sparring matches. 

"Okay then, just let me change into my armour." Keith agrees before half jogging over to the change rooms.

I'm going to spar!! With Keith!! 

"Okay, ready." Keith reappeared with his hair pulled back in a small pony tail.

It took everything in my power not to scream or wolf whistle or blurt out some crappy pick up line.

I'm fairly certain my face is a little red though.

"O-okay." I nodded quickly while simultaneously trying to calm myself down and getting into a fighting stance.

Now hand to hand combat has never really been my... forte but oh boy is it Keith's he had me on the ground before I could blink.

Offering a hand to help me up he asks, "Getting rusty?"

I gasp, pretending to be hurt, "I just wasn't ready. Go again." 

This time he gave me a fighting chance, throwing a punch first instead of going straight for my arm and flipping me. At the same time I dodged to the left I grabbed his outstretched arm and used it to give me some more momentum to kick his foot out from behind him.

I swear I heard him murmur, "Not bad."

Grinning widely I let him pull himself up off the cushioned training mats.

We drop into fighting stance again and I can tell Keith is desperate to win so I up .y game a little.

We go back and forth for a minute or two before he hooks my leg and I fall to my back on the carpet but not before I grab Keith's arm as a last ditch effort to keep myself standing up right but he goes crashing down on top of me. 

Keith laughs and props himself up fully so he's hovering a few inches above me and I forget how to breath he just looks so...

"You wanted to win that badly that you took me down with you?" Keith continues laughing, either not bothering to move or not realizing what position we're in with our legs intertwined and his face hovering above mine.

"You would've done the same thing!" I indignantly retort.

And then something washes over his face and I think it's the sudden realization of our arrangement as he looks into my eyes with his own dark brown eyes.

"I-um..." I stutter before failing at keeping my eyes away from his lips. They only click down for a second but my face just as quickly turns a shade very similar to a fire trucks paint. 

"Y-yeah." His own eyes flicker down to my lips and stay there for more then a second. 

Some weird urge seems to take over both of us then and I feel myself cranning my neck upwards and him lowering his until I can feel his hot breath against my slightly parted lips. 

And then the moment is shattered by the reality of our team mates steps right outside the door. Faster then light we scramble up from the floor and separate.

"I'm just gonna..." I point towards the door awkwardly.

"Yeah, I- I'm gonna..." he nods towards the locker room.

"Bye!" I manage to squeak out before darting for the door.

What.... what just happened.  
-  
KEITH  
A few hours later

"Stupid.... stupid.... stupid..." I mutter smacking my head back into my pillow repeatedly.

"Keith what are you...?" Shirk peaks in the door before seeing me and just letting himself in.

"Why are you chanting stupid to an empty room?" Shiro asks softly and sits down on the edge of my bed.

I pull my legs up close to my chest and duck my head down into them so they muffle my voice, "Lance and I almost kissed." 

"Really? How?" Shiro inquires, leaning back against the wall.

"Well, we where sparring and we both fell and we landed in a... compromising position with me on top of him... and it just kinda almost happened? Like a few more seconds without panicking because we heard Hunk and Pidge's footsteps and we might have kissed." I turned around and smashed my face into my pillow while Shiro patted me comfortingly on the back, "Why does he have to be so..." I threw my hands up, "kissable!" 

I sat up again just to see Shiro shrug.

"It's unfair that he gets to look so kissable and be so... so... argh!" I threw my hands up again before continuing on with my rant, "before he left I just ignored my obvious feelings for him because I knew that if we broke up it would wreak havoc on the team, and now he's back and I can feel the feelings coming back and I just wish that I could just get ride of them!"

"Keith," Shiro began, "if it means anything, I think you should go for it, first of all because I can tell you really, really like him and secondly because I've been reading up on Voltrons history from the Castle's archive and more often then not the blue and red Paladins are meant to be together. So maybe, just maybe you guys are meant to be together too?"

I looked at him with wide eyes, almost not believing him, " What should I do then?"


	6. Help from his friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance talks to Hunk and Pidge about the red and blue Paladins rather romantic history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don't have a plot for this I just ended up writing the first chapter on a whim so...

LANCE

I am beginning to remember how difficult it is to fly a giant lion through space while being shot at from another ship also in space AND having your team mates yell at you in panic through the intercom system that's literally (I tried) impossible to turn off. 

"Lance! Go left!" Shiro's voice invades the blue lions sound system. 

"Roger." I reply and swerve to the left to evade the blasts from the attacking Galra ship and to give Hunk space to shoot at the war ship.

"It's shielded!" Hunk's panicked voice alerts me.

"I got this." I grumble (I've always wanted to say that though!!), "cover me." (I've also always wanted to say that).

"What- Lance!" Keith shouts at me before I mentally block them out.

As quickly as I can I pull Blue into a into a nose dive and drive her under the ship, to the part where the Galra likely didn't bother to put any armour on (they kinda build their ships like armidillo) while my team obediently open fires on the craft as a distraction. 

I drag Blue's sharp, knife like nails across the belly of the ship, making a gaping hole that blows all the Galra tech junk into space. Hopefully the shield generator as well. Next, I draw Blue out from the belly of the ship and begin shooting at the blaster that resides on the top of the ship. Eventually it seems to break with a small explosion that almost blew me backwards but I managed to stay in control of Blue with little difficulty.

"Alright, continue fire. I've managed to blow up the ships offense and defense, hopefully that is. I'm not quite sure if the shields are 100% out." I speak out loud, into the com to my team mates.

"Nice one, Lance!" Shiro compliments as he helps the others destroy the rest of the ship.  
-  
"Lance, that was awesome!" Hunk claps me on the back after we arrive back at the Castle.

" You where all like 'cover me!' And Shiro was all like 'what??' And then it was like," I continue to listen to Hunk make strange explosion/gunshot noises with his mouth.

Suddenly, I feel a hand pressed against my lower back, whizzing around I realize it's Keith who smiles and asks,

"Spar later?" 

Reminding myself to breath after a few long seconds I manage to nod as I don't quite trust myself to speak without sputtering.

Keith gives me a small smile and then just... leaves.

Once far out of ear shot Hunk turns back to me and questions, "You're still caught up on him?" 

My face turns reader then a fire hydrant before I reply, "Yeah, kinda, I mean I thought I was over him but after our latest sparring session I'm not sure."

"Lance..." Hunk trails off quietly as we begin walking down the hall in no particular direction.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it would never work out between us. We're team mates and if we broke up it would wreak havoc on the team." I mutter half to myself and half to Hunk.

"Lance, thats actually not what I was going to say." Hunk informs me.

"It wasn't?" My head snaps up from where I was staring at the Castle floor.

"No, I was going to say that if you really like him you should go for it." Says Hunk, thoroughly surprising me.

I stutter for a second, "What- really?" 

"Yeah. Come with me for a second." Hunk nods his head towards the archives.

"Okay...?" I follow after him.

"Okay, so Pidge and I have slowly been translating the archives and we've found a lot of stuff but to be more specific we found-"

"Oh hey guys." Pidge poked their head out from behind a... bookshelf, it was basically a bookshelf, a high tech glowey bookshelf.

"Pidge! Great okay, I'm going to tell Lance about the uh... stuff we found?" Hunk nodded at Pidge, trying to communicate what he meant without directly telling me what we are here for.

"Oh Yeah!" Pidge nods enthusiastically, "continue Hunk."

"Okay so we found that more often then not (Like 92% of the time) the blue and red Paladins are... destined to be together." Hunk chooses his words carefully.

"I'm not one for romantics but it does seem like the blue and red Paladins are soul mates." Pidge adjusted their glasses. 

"So... what do you think I should do?" I rubbed the back of my neck anxiously.

Pidge and Hunk both stared at me flatly before I continued, 

"No, what I mean is should i just straight up ask him out or should I flirt and see if he reciprocated it or what?"

"Geez, Lance I don't think we've ever seen you this nervous to flirt with someone." Pidge chuckled.

"So you think I should flirt?" I rub my chin thoughtfully, what kind of pickup lines would even work on Keith? 'Do you want to go do something impulsive and reckless?" Or 'Do you want to see my knife collection?'

"Lance what we're saying is that you should do whatever you feel is best." Hunk concludes simply for me.

I nod, still trying to think of something, "Alright, thanks for the help guys. I'm going to go train/wait for Keith so we can spar."

I exit the room and soon enough I hear them start chattering about physics so I let myself get lost in my thoughts. Maybe Keith doesn't like me? Maybe I'm just reading him wrong? Or maybe he does like me but doesn't think we should date because it would jeopardise our team dynamic or what if he is into me but just waiting for me to make the first move? Numbly, I walk to the training room and attempt to dig myself out of the hole I've thought myself into when a voice greets me at the entrance,

"Hey, Lance." 

Keith.

And in the end, I just ended up acting like nothing was different between us the whole time.


End file.
